Monday, June 26, 2006

New Delhi, June 25:TRYING to put a lid on cases of ragging, Delhi University has decided to make it mandatory for all colleges to introduce a sealed complaint box to enable victims to drop their complaints.

DU Proctor Gurmeet Singh today said the complaint box will be placed outside each college principal’s office.

The University has also decided to give the colleges more teeth to deal with ragging cases. According to another new order — Clause 5 of Ordinance 15 — colleges will now have the ‘‘authority to exercise all (appropriate) disciplinary powers’’. Shorn of officialese, this means colleges would judge ragging cases on their ‘merit’, and award punishment accordingly.

Singh said the idea behind the sealed complaint box is to guarantee anonymity to the students. The first-of-its-kind move, he said, will give the students, especially hostellers, an opportunity to register complaints without fear. “Also, the presence of this mechanism in itself would act as a deterrent.”

He added: ‘‘According to the nature of the complaint, the colleges have been given the power to decide punishment this year — it could be a small fine of Rs 50 or even expulsion.”

Singh said it will also be mandatory to identify a Disciplinary Resource Person in each college, hostel, department

and faculty.

DU officials define ragging as ‘‘any obscene or unpleasant activity that embarrasses the fresher.’’ This is different from “interacting” with freshers or talking to them about the college’s traditions.

Under Ordinance 15, ragging in any form is banned in DU colleges and, in extreme cases, can invite expulsion for the offender.